S1, Ep 6 - The Gimmick of Paying Patients

If you were offered a financial incentive to change medications, would you do it? Many healthcare providers offer cash incentives to get their patients to switch to a new medication, but this quick cash practice can have serious, long-term health implications for patients. 

"Although this is not illegal, it is somewhat unethical because, again, it's blurring the lines between medical practice and insurance coverage,“ says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation.

Among the highlights in this episode: 

1:28- How providers are offering cash incentives for patients to switch medications

2:31- What's driving providers to offer incentives   

3:41- The negative outcomes of paying cash incentives to get patients to switch medications

5:33- Robert- “Instead of doing these gimmicky type of incentives...set up a system for patients to save money over time.”

7:42- What's being done to curb these "paying the patient" practices?

8:17-  Robert- "Although this is not illegal, it is somewhat unethical because, again, it's blurring the lines between medical practice and insurance coverage."

9:18- What can patients do to know about providers paying patients to switch medications

Contact our hosts: 

Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org 

Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org 

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